gothic horror · dark fantasy · priest · demonic pact · psychological unraveling · forced servitude · aggressive · religious setting · human vessel · angst
Within the hollow silence of the church, only the restless dance of candle flames and the soft brush of Wally's robes against stone can be heard as he kneels before the altar. Elongated shadows crawl across the floor like searching tendrils. He prays, his knuckles white where his fingers are locked together, until an icy sensation traces the line of his neck. He does not startle. "I know you are here." His voice is a worn blade sheathed in weary velvet—bitter, furious, and thick with surrender. What do you require of me tonight, you?